Estate & Trust Administration For Dummies^?

by Margaret Atkins Munro; Kathryn A. Murphy

• ISBN13: 9780470453056
• ISBN10: 0470453052
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2008-11-01
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Executing an estate or a trust fund is a big responsibility. Estate & Trust Administration For Dummies contains advice for handling estates and trusts of any size. It offers solid pointers on reading and interpreting a will and other documents, and helping heirs avoid paying too much (or too little). It also shows you how to take care of a loved one's estate in the event that a will or trust was never created.This authoritative, plain-English guide helps you understand and follow the rules that govern estates and trusts, ensure a smooth transfer of property, and manage fiduciary affairs in an orderly manner. You'll get help choosing and assembling a team of professional advisors, settling debts and paying bequests, operating a revocable or irrevocable trust, and making sound trust investment decisions. Discover how to: Understand executors' and trustees' duties Read and interpret important documents Properly execute an estate or trust Handle estates both large and small Get familiar with the probate process and estate taxes Identify different types of trusts Follow the deceased's wishes - and the law Notify insurers and employers of a death Follow the steps for closing an estate Establish, fund, and change ownership of a trust Keep proper trust recordsYes, you can do the job and do it well. All you need is a little help from Estate and Trust Administration For Dummies.

Table of Contents

Introduction.Part I: Discovering the World of Estates and Trusts.Chapter 1: Functioning in a Fiduciary World.Chapter 2: Estates 101: Exploring the Ins and Outs of Estates.Chapter 3: The Lowdown on Trusts: Identifying the Different Types.Chapter 4: Assembling Your Team Members and Knowing When to Use Them.Part II: Administering an Estate.Chapter 5: Taking the First Steps after Death.Chapter 6: Navigating the Probate Process.Chapter 7: Marshalling and Liquidating Assets.Chapter 8: Paying the Debts, Expenses, Bequests, and Devises from the Estate.Chapter 9: Closing the Estate.Part III: Operating a Revocable or Irrevocable Trust.Chapter 10: Understanding the Trustee's Duties.Chapter 11: Funding the Trust.Chapter 12: Investing the Trust's Assets and Paying Its Expenses.Chapter 13: Paying Trust Benefi ciaries.Chapter 14: Creating and Keeping Trust Records.Chapter 15: Terminating the Trust.Part IV: Paying the Taxes.Chapter 16: Preparing the Estate Tax Return, Part 1.Chapter 17: Preparing the Estate Tax Return, Part 2.Chapter 18: Filing Income Tax Returns for a Decedent, Estate, or Trust.Chapter 19: Reporting Tax Info on Schedule K-1.Part V: The Part of Tens.Chapter 20: Ten Pitfalls for the Unwary.Chapter 21: Ten Types of Taxes You May Have to Pay.Appendix A: Glossary.Appendix B: State-by-State Summary of Probate, Estate, or Inheritance Tax, and Rules of Intestacy.Index.